OBSERVATORY HIVE. 
81 
of the year would be of no value to the bee-keeper, which if 
given to the colony would be worth as much to them as a me- 
dium-sized swarm. It is therefore best to transfer to a mova- 
ble comb hive. To do so, invert the hive containing the bees ; 
set an empty box on the top, which is called the forcing box; 
hammer on the hive to make the bees run up into this box; 
then set it with the bees on the old stand ; pry the side off 
the hive so as to get the combs out as whole as possible, un- 
less tools made for cutting out combs are used ; lay the combs 
on a table and fit them into the frames of the new hive by 
laying the frame on the comb and cutting around neatly inside 
with a knife ; be careful to put in all the brood and as much 
of the bee-bread and straight combs of honey as you can ; 
keep the brood as nearly as possible in the same position in 
the hive ; keep the same ends of the combs up ; now set the 
combs all in the new hive and close it up, except the regular 
entrance ; set it on the old stand and run the bees into it as 
you would a new swarm ; then, if there is any danger of rob- 
bery, make the entrance very small ; two narrow pieces of 
board six inches long should be kept by each hive to lessen 
the entrance when necessary. To hold the combs perpendic- 
ular in the frames, it is generally necessary to set up two or 
three strips of wood one-fourth of an inch square between 
each pair of combs, extending one-fourth of an inch above and 
below the frames. I usually put a pair of these strips on 
each side of the comb, and tie them together at the top and 
bottom. If the bees are gathering honey, they will likely 
have the combs well secured to the frames in two or three 
days. The hive should then be opened and the sticks or 
clamps taken out. Bees can thus be transferred any month 
in the yoar ; but it is best, especially for the inexperienced, 
to do it as soon as they have commenced making honey. 
There is but little honey in the combs at this time ; and if 
they are transferred out of doors when bees arc not collecting 
honey, there is danger of inducing robbery. 
DIFFERENCE IN SUCCESS. 
Keeping bees is much like fishing. Two boys get hooks 
and lines out of the same lot!* procure poles alike, get baits 
under the same stone, and fish from the same pond — both de- 
termined if there are any fish there they will have them ; 
4* 
